Landing-stage for aeroplanes



J. A. CAULKINS.

LANDING STAGE FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. 1919.

1,340,325. Patented y 18, 1920.

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Inventor J. A. CAULKINS.

LANDING STAGE FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10. 1919.

Patented May 18, 1920.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied Key 10, 1819. Serial No. 896,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jorm A. CAULKINS, a citizen of the United States residing at Hartford, in the county of I-lartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Landing-Stages forAeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of means. which will provide suitable landing and launching stages for aeroplanes in cities, towns, and close y built communities where there are no open fields of suflicient size, and in open country where the fields are too broken and uneven to be used for landing and launching with safety.

The object of the invention is to provide a structure which will be sufliciently strong, firm and yet not too 'd to permit the satisfactory and safe lan mg and launching of aeroglanes and sustain the combined weight of t mechanics and passengers, and will be so open or skeleton-like that it will be light in Wei ht, will shut out daylight to a comparative y small degree, and will ofier but minimum resistance to the elements-rain, snow, ice and wind-thereby enabling it to be cheaply erected over buildings in cities without such disadvantages as would render it im racticable.

igure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a perspective view of a landing and launching sta e which embodies the invention illustrated as erected over a section of a city. Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale a vertical section of a portion of the structure taken on the plane indicated by the line 2 on Fi 3. Fig. 3 shows a plan of a portion 0 the structure.

The preferred form of the invention which is illustrated has the necessary number of vertical latticed supporting columns 1 that may be anchoreiat suitable distances apart on the roofs of buildings or in the grdund according to the local conditions where the structure is to be erected. These columns are desirably formed of angle-iron corners 2 united by cross bracing strips 3. Light lattice, irders 4 formed of angle-iron corners 5 am? oblique bracing strips 6 are secured horizontally to the to s of the su porting columns. Suspende between t e girders and extending from side to side at suitable distances apart are heavy wire cables 7, and separating these cables and w e machines and accompanying pilots,

taining them desirably spaced are light channel irons 8. The channel irons and cables .are secured together by clamps 9. Upon the framework of irders, cables and channel irons thus formec? and supported by the columns a flooring of extra heavy expanded metal lath 10 is secured, and over this flooring is placed a surfacing sheet of heavy gage wire screen mesh 11.

Steps 12 may be arran ed where desired from the to of the lan ing stage to the roof of a building beneath to permit ready ascent to or descent from the landing stage.

The lattice columns and girders form a light and substantial supporting frame w ich can be built any height and size at comparatively low cost without obstructing traflic. The cables and channels are readily obtained and easily placed in position, and they provide a desirable yielding, yet strong, base for the flooring, while the expanded metal lath, which is a common article of commerce, forms a firm yet light flooring and the wire mesh provides a suitable covering surface for machines and people. The whple structure is relatively ight in weight and is sufiiciently open so that rain, snow and ice will not gather and weight it down, and so that light will be obstructed only to a minimum degree, thus enabling the structure to be erected over buildings in a city without serious inconvenience to the occupants of the buildin s below or in the immediate locallty. T e structure may have sufiicient area to (provide a safe landing and launching fiel for aeroplanes above a single building or a group of buildings in a city and can be erected without such serious disadvantages as would prohibit its use.

The invention claimed is 1. A landing and launching sta e for aeroplanes comprising supportlng co umns of suitable height, horizontally arranged girders connecting the tops of the columns, cables extending between and supplorted by the girders, and a reticular meta ic flooring laid upon the cables and extending between the girders.

2. A landing and launching sta e for aeroplanes comprising supporting co umns of suitable height, horizontal girders connecting the tops of the columns, cables extending between and supported by the girders, channel irons retaining the 'cables spaced, and a reticular metallic flooring laid Patented May 18, 1920..

upon the cables and channel irons and extending between the girders.

8, A landing and launching sta e for aeroplanes comprising supporting co umns of suitable height, horizontal girders connecting the tops of the columns, cables extendin between and supported by the girders, c annel irons retaining the cables s aced, expanded metal lath secured upon tlie cables and channel irons and exten mg between the irders.

4. A landing and launching stage for aeroplanes comprising supporting columns of suitable height, horizontal girders connecting the tops of the columns, cables extendin between and supported by the girders, c annel irons retaining the cables 3 aced, expanded metal lath secured u on t e cables and channel irons and exten in between the girders, and wire screen mes covering the expanded metal lath.

5. A landing and launching sta for aeroplanes comprising latticed met vertical columns, latticed metal horizontal girders connectin the tops of the columns, wire cables exten in between and supported by the girders, c annel irons retaining the cables spaced expanded metal lath secured upon the cables and channel irons and extending between the Igirders, and wire ilici'fien mesh covering t e expanded metal 6. A landing and launching st for aeroplanes comprising supporting co umns, girders connecting the tops of the columns, and a firm, flexib e, reticular, metallic flooring sus nded between and supported by the gir ers.

7. A landing and launching sta e for aeroplanes comprising supportmg co umns, means connecting the tops of the columns and a reticular metallic "flooring suspended between and supported by the said connecting means and columns.

JOHN A. CAULKINS. 

